Orioles sign LHP Kelvin De La Cruz

By / MLB.com

The Orioles today announced that they have signed free agent LHP KELVIN DE LA CRUZ to a one-year contract.

De La Cruz, 25, was a combined 3-1 with seven saves and a 2.67 ERA (67.1IP, 20ER) in 50 relief appearances for Double-A Chattanooga (3G) and Triple-A Albuquerque (47G) in the Dodgers organization in 2013. He finished third in the Pacific Coast League and set a career-high with 11.26 K/9.0IP. De La Cruz held left-handed hitters to a line of .217/.298/.261 in 106 plate appearances, recording 37 strikeouts.

In eight minor league seasons in the Cleveland (2006-11), Detroit ('12) and Dodgers ('13) systems, De La Cruz has gone 40-37 with a 4.18 ERA (638.0IP, 296ER). He has averaged 8.8 strikeouts per 9.0 innings in 185 career minor league games (111 starts).

With this signing, the Orioles now have 32 players on the 40-man roster.

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.